Forks

The discussion finally started to get serious last night about going back to school. With the new health care bill there will be a great need for nurse practitioners and I am definitely in a position to pursue that......but how?

First off, I should say that were I to go back to school, it wouldn't be for some time. Admissions occur in January and school starts in May, therefore the earliest I could conceivably start up again would be May 0f 2011, a full calendar year from now. That is both good and bad I suppose. Good: time to explore options, talk to professionals in field, talk to counselors at school, take entry exams that I can actually study for, and generally consider my options. Bad: the program itself is 2 years (at UP anyway) so I wouldn't be done until 2013 (age 36) with an additional god knows how many thousands in loans to stack up on top of my current array of them, the fear I have about going back to actual focused study, and all the life changes that might need to be made to accomodate it (less free time, less money, less time to help out around the house). The good news is that I should be able to work at least the first year of the program full time..........the second year is much more clinically based and would prove far more difficult to accomodate.

The most important thing, however, is that the education would (should) equate to a degree of autonomy that I don't have now and have always craved. It would open up new and difficult challenges that I love and hate equally (but mostly love). It would open up an array of doors. It would put me squarely where I think I should be instead of where I am.............but all that time, and money, and effort seem like such monumental undertakings, just like going back to nursing school did. Baby steps. For now, I need to focus on the GRE and then take the next step. Who knows, by this time next year I might be gearing up for school again. God help Tia if that happens :)